In a setback to private pharmacy colleges, the High Court of Karnataka on Monday upheld the State government’s notification of reserving 50% seats in private pharmacy colleges from the 2017-18 academic year.
Justice L. Narayana Swamy passed the order while rejecting the petitions filed by Krupanidhi College of Pharmacy and others questioning the legality of notification issued on June 2, 2017.
As per the notification, 50% seats in M.Pharm, Pharm D. (Post Baccalaureate), Pharm D. and B. Pharm courses would come under the purview of the government quota and these seats would be filled up by a common counselling through the Karnataka Examinations Authority.
Earlier, the government quota seats in some of the pharmacy courses, including B.Pharm was restricted to 20%, while 80% of the total seats were left to the private colleges.
Terming that the government’s notification was issued unilaterally without any consensus with private colleges, the petitioner-colleges had contended that the government’s action was illegal and without jurisdiction.
However, the court rejected their contentions.